How to Publish a Site

Learn how to publish your website to make changes live. Sites have draft and published versions, allowing you to work on changes safely before making them visible to visitors.

Before You Begin

• You must be logged in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com
• You need permission to manage sites (typically organization owners and admins have this permission)
• A site with draft changes ready to publish

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to Sites

1. Log in to your account at https://app.joinzipper.com/auth/login
2. From the dashboard, click Sites in the left sidebar
3. You'll see your sites list

Step 2: Select Site

1. Find the site you want to publish
2. Click on the site to open it
3. You'll see the site management interface

What happens next: You'll see the site editor with draft and published versions.

Step 3: Make Changes in Draft Version

1. Work on draft version:

   • Make your changes in the draft version
   • Edit pages, content, settings, etc.
   • Draft changes don't affect the live site
   • You can work on drafts safely

2. Review your changes:

   • Check that all changes are correct
   • Preview how the site will look
   • Ensure everything is ready

Note: Draft version lets you make changes without affecting the live site.

Step 4: Review Changes

1. Compare draft vs published:

   • See what's changed between versions
   • Review all modifications
   • Ensure changes are correct

2. Preview the site:

   • See how the published site will look
   • Check that everything displays correctly
   • Verify links and functionality

Important: Review changes carefully before publishing to ensure everything is correct.

Step 5: Publish Site

1. When ready, look for the Publish button
2. Click Publish
3. A confirmation may appear asking you to confirm
4. Click Confirm or Publish to proceed
   • Publishing may take a moment
   • You'll see a confirmation when complete

What happens next: The site will be published and:

• Draft version becomes the published version
• Changes go live immediately
• Visitors see the updated site
• Previous published version is replaced

How Publishing Works

When you publish a site:

1. Draft becomes published:

   • Draft version replaces published version
   • All draft changes go live
   • Previous published version is replaced

2. Changes go live immediately:

   • Site updates are visible right away
   • Visitors see the new version
   • No downtime during publishing

3. Draft version resets:

   • After publishing, draft matches published
   • You can start making new changes
   • New draft changes don't affect live site

Tips

• Always review changes before publishing
• Use draft version to test changes safely
• Publish when changes are complete and ready
• Keep draft and published versions in sync
• Preview changes before publishing

Troubleshooting

Problem: I don't see the Publish button Solution: Check that:

• You're viewing the site editor
• You have permission to manage sites
• Site exists and is accessible

Solution: Make sure you've opened the site editor. Contact your organization owner if you need access.

Problem: Publishing failed Solution: Check that:

• Site is accessible and not corrupted
• You have permission to publish
• Publishing service is available

Solution: Verify site is accessible and permissions are correct. Try publishing again or contact support.

Problem: Changes aren't showing after publishing Solution: Check that:

• Publishing completed successfully
• Changes were saved in draft version
• Site cache may need to clear

Solution: Verify publishing completed and changes were in draft. Clear cache if needed.

Problem: I want to undo publishing Solution: After publishing:

• Draft version matches published
• You can make new changes and republish
• Previous version is replaced

Solution: Make corrections in draft and republish. Previous published version cannot be restored directly.